Here is my opinion based on my experience of attending CSU. My opinion surely does not reflect all the views of students who attend CSU, as each student's experience differs from person to person. The overall difficulty of the program was very low. I've written emails that were more difficult. I was previously enrolled in a master's degree program at Gonzaga University, and it was a significant challenge. Through my enrollment, the tuition became too much for me and I was growing bored of the course material, so a withdrew. I stumbled upon the option of CSU from a colleague of mine who attended the university. He was confident, so I figured that I would give CSU a try. So, that is essentially the reason why I attended CSU; it's cheap. It's the cheapest, accredited university I could find, and my goal was to attain a master's degree and have a resume enhancer. Has it helped my resume in finding employment opportunities? It's too soon to tell. From what I've heard from hiring managers is that they are more interested in what you have done, rather than what you have studied. Will a degree from a well-known university give you a leg up? Sure, it will. Big universities have impressive alumni networks that could land you a good internship or high paying job. With that said, you can also explore your own network through social media like linkedn. A Columbia Southern master's degree was not designed for your 23 year-old recent graduate from a brick-and-mortar college. It is designed for working adults who don't have time to be up until 3 a.m. writing papers. That's what I was doing while attending Gonzaga; it was brutal. I actually had time to spend with my family attending CSU. However, I have to be honest in the fact that I feel a bit inadequate because the university is not regionally accredited, nor does it hold other business accreditation such as AACSB or ACBSP. But then again, only about 25% of universities nationwide hold those accreditations. I don't want to bash CSU too bad, it does have DEAC and recognized by CHEA and the Department of Education. So, although nationally recognized, it is indeed accredited. Whether this school is right for you, will depend on your academic goals. You will have a hard time transferring CSU credits into a regionally accredited university. But then again, I transferred among three different regionally accredited universities while doing my undergrad, and not all my courses were transferred equally. Some are concerned that a masters degree from CSU will not transfer into any regionally accredited doctoral program, and that's not true. Trident University accepts a master's degree from CSU and it's regionally accredited. If one does, I'm sure there are others like it. Will you be able to transfer your CSU degree over to Harvard...probably not. Make the most informed decision, and be happy about it in the end. Getting a degree is just one step in success. The next steps come by adding value to your employer, being dependable, and being a problem solver.

“I have reached out to the administrators concerningMay 24 2014Business - Management and Administration

I have reached out to the administrators concerning Professor James Schindler. Professor Schindler will give you a grade and go back to change it to a low grade hoping the you would not see him change it. Every time a Professor makes changes to a grade the students receive an email of what it was changed to. This professor has also harassed me on several occasions and students are unable to get in touch with President or Vice President to conduct an investigation. I hope that steps will be made to remove this professor from this great university. He is setting a bad example that would be further described as prejudice. He is playing games with other peoples future. Again, PLEASE HELP ME with PROFESSOR James Schindler. I am going to school to better myself and as a single parent of 5, I trying my best to achieve this goal. I fell that he crushing my goals and leaving me no room put to drop out. I am also disabled and he is well aware of this. This professor only sees me as a added problem because he don't want to accommodate people with disabilities. So, this professor would rather use his pen and abuse his point to get his mission of moving disabled people out of school. We are people too.. Please HELP!! CSU President

Much harder to learn in an online forum but the material is excellent and the instructors are great! Online learning is not for the weak-hearted who need to be coddled through their schooling. This is self-driven learning and requires intense concentration and study to be successful. I loved it! Much more challenging than universities where I attended in the classroom!

“We are paying for a professor that lackApr 28 2014Business - Management and Administration

We are paying for a professor that lack the degree level and we are getting cheated out of education because of one professor that graduated from Walden University.. This is a poor decision on CSU part.. I am sure more students will be leaving your University. I guess this is want CSU wanted to run their students away.

“Columbia University was one of the best UniversitiesApr 28 2014Business - Management and Administration

Columbia University was one of the best Universities to attend but, this year the school has taken the turn for the worst. They have hire professors from Walden University that lack the stand to be self-regulated. We would review the ethics behind the hiring that has now remained to question about the student that currently attend the subjects class. Apparently, the administration at this University are unconcern as long as someone is teaching the coarse. All university works like a business that receive at least 95% of it's income from the federal government. We love CSU but hope that changes could be made from the stand point on a business level and in the best interest of their students. Please address the issue and continue to make CSU the best University in the World.

“I have completed almost half of the courseSep 19 2013Business - Management and Administration

I have completed almost half of the course work towards my DBA degree with CSU. The courses follow a defined curriculum, and the textbooks are current and from some of the top textbook publishers. The online assessments range from multiple choice questions to short essay answers. I can't speak to the undergraduate programs, but the doctoral program also requires case studies and article critiques in proper APA format, with resources from beyond the course materials. The assignments are challenging, but I have experienced more difficult course work in some of my Master Degree courses at a traditional B&M university. At the doctoral level, the challenges are often self-imposed; essentially you get out of the program what you put into it. At this stage of my life, the completion of a doctorate degree will not impact my employment, so I'm completing it to fulfill an individual goal. The accreditation issue does not really affect me, as I have had the CSU program evaluated and it has been accepted as the equivalent of a PhD in Canada, so it meets my criteria. I would like to add that my undergrad degree was completed by distance at a fully accredited Canadian university and was accepted for admittance to one of the top B&M universities in Canada. I am currently the Program Director for an online degree program at the same university where I completed my undergrad degree, and find the CSU courses on par for content and academic rigour. Distance education is not for everyone, but it serves a purpose and the entire process should not be discounted simply because it did not meet one's expectations.

My prior learning experiences are an Associate Degree from Coastline Community College in CA, and a Bachelor?s Degree from NYIT (New York Institute of Technology, Old Westbury NY). Both are great institutions that are regionally accredited only.

As for CSU, I LOVE THIS SCHOOL! The support staff and professors are wonderful. The coursework in my Master?s program has the rigor one would expect from a university that has these specializations. CSU is not Harvard Law School, nor is it Yale University but it IS a fine university that primarily focuses on public safety related coursework and programs. For an ?online? university they are very involved with their local community. From what I have seen online (youtube) their graduation ceremonies have local, state, and federal politicians presiding. You don?t see that with many virtual universities.

I chose this university because it is very well represented and endorsed in the public service community fire, Police, Military, Occupational Health and Safety as well as several others. They are also learning partners with many fine organizations. CSU is not trying to be something that it is not. The few (one or two) negative reviews CSU has on this board appear to be grudge related and not based in overall fact. If one has a bad experience it is great to hear for about future reference but in general does not get the message out to the perspective students nor do ONE sentence reviews.

I spoke with several CSU students and graduates prior to applying. The National Accreditation through DETC was a minor issue for me at first as a PHD from another university is NOT in my future. I am done after the Master?s Degree!! (maybe)

As far as the DETC accreditation is concerned, it is approved/endorsed by the U.S. Department of Education and accepted by many other universities, but not all. Quite a few universities and colleges are now obtaining DUAL accreditation -- regional and National. One just has to ask the registrar of the school they are interested in as to whether they accept national accredited semester hours, 70% will accept them in one form or another. "ALL" the credits I earned from NYIT were NOT accepted at all other regionally accredited schools that I applied to either. Some transfer and some don?t that is just the way it is. The reason I address this issue is the first post for this school looked like a five year old wrote it AND made a few uninformed statements about national accreditation and its acceptability. Research EVERYTHING before you take a single review as gospel.

I have 19 semester hours at this school so far and I could not be happier. The great thing about a school that is nationally accredited is the course work is very focused on the major. This is in stark contrast to my regionally accredited bachelor degree where I had to take tons of liberal arts courses to graduate (Blah!). At this level (Master) subject focus is key for success and that is the best part for me! At CSU I am writing (a lot), testing (weekly), and learning my major, ACTUALLY learning it and I love that.

At the end of the day the choice is yours, there are hundreds of colleges and universities out there to choose from. Research every option and make an INFORMED decision when it is choice time. Read all the online reviews then talk to the schools directly and decide.

Also, this school is very military friendly! They give the respect and support you (and I) deserve for our service.

school is nationally accrediated. if you want to get a phd they will not accept any of the credits. but they wont tell you that on the website. courses were hard too hard sometimes. but if you want to continue with a advanced degree make sure the school you want to go to will take csu credits, because most dont.

You come out of CSU with a solid education because CSU requires heavy reading, research, and writing. The classes are centered around real-life in the field as well as providing valuable theory. I am able to speak intelligently on any aspect of OS&H to engineers, managers, or technologists. I am a Safety and Health Manager for Honeywell and I can assure you that without a degree from CSU they wouldn't have hired me. I am in the master's program now and provide my company with a knowledgeable background because of my degree. If you are looking to further your career or fine-tune your current knowledge base, you can't go wrong with enrolling at CSU.

This was not an easy school. I came in with my undergrad and a 3.8. I finished up at Columbia Southern with a 3.6 and had to work for it. It was worth it though I passed my CSP the first time unlike other I know.

“As a 21 year member of the USAF,Feb 16 2012Business - Management and Administration

As a 21 year member of the USAF, CSU has provided me the opportunity to complete my MBA on MY schedule. I'm sure that there are more expensive universities with much more difficult work loads...but why do that to yourself!? If you want to be a doctor or a lawyer fine, knock yourself out. However, I don't need to spend four times the amount to get the same education. The name on the university doesn't matter to me and if it matters to your employer then then maybe you should look somewhere else for work. I've enjoyed my success and my time at CSU and would recommend it for anyone who is looking to broaden their knowledge and have a great time doing it.

I will finish up my MBA in a couple of months and move on to retirement at the end of 2012. In my recent job search not once did someone ask WHERE my MBA came from, they were just excited that I had one... I think that says it all.Thanks Columbia Southern University!

The classes are too easy for an alledged MBA program. I was writing 20+ page papers when I was getting my BS at another university and at Columbia Southern University, I have taken 7 classes and I have never once had to write a paper over 8 pages. And I never knew schools had open-book final testing...you are given 4 hours with an open book to complete the test, or you can choose to fail and make a B instead of an A. Im sorry but I'm dropping out of this school, because I would not be honored to have a degree that was this EASY!

“I am a Penn State graduate that held a 3Jun 29 2011Business - Management and Administration

I am a Penn State graduate that held a 3.89 GPA. After graduation, I started attending Penn State University as a graduate student (MBA). After several courses and tuition hikes my employer tuition assistance was going well over the maximum. I decided that I needed a change of pace. After a friend informed my about CSA, I did my research and found that CSA a top notch online school. In fact, CSU is one of the fastest growing schools in the country. I am predicting that CSU could possibly become larger than the University of Phoenix. CSU has a great price, very flexible course schedule and a free book grant. Let me know of any Big Ten or Big East school (or any major school)that offers free books. Basically, if you have a Bachelor?s degree (or right out of HS) from a well know school then CSU could will a perfect fit. Why waste multitudes of funds on cash cows like Nova or The University of MD, when you can basically get the same education for 1/5 of the cost. Trust me, CSU will continue to grow and start to pick up academic honors and accolades.

I like CSU. I completed my BS in Occupational Health and Safety and now I will complete my final 2 classes in my MBA next month. It has been a long road with work, family, and school but it was well worth it. I have been going to CSU since 2006 and have had many good experiences and only just a few times did I disagree with a professor. Staff was always helpful, pleasant, and I never had a problem with receiving my VA benefits (they always submitted the proper paperwork). There is no way that I could attend a traditional college so I am very happy that I found CSU. All of my credits from the military and junior college I attended transferred with no problem. I suspect that those who write negative comments didn't complete their degree or are just pro regional accreditation. I am 32 years old and will finally, after years of hard work and dedication, have 2 CSU degrees hanging in my office. I am very proud of myself and CSU.

“I have completed almost half of the courseFeb 18 2011Business - Management and Administration

I have completed almost half of the course work towards my DBA degree with CSU. The courses follow a defined curriculum, and the textbooks are current and from some of the top textbook publishers. The online assessments range from multiple choice questions to short essay answers. I can't speak to the undergraduate programs, but the doctoral program also requires case studies and article critiques in proper APA format, with resources from beyond the course materials. The assignments are challenging, but I have experienced more difficult course work in some of my Master Degree courses at a traditional B&M university. At the doctoral level, the challenges are often self-imposed; essentially you get out of the program what you put into it. At this stage of my life, the completion of a doctorate degree will not impact my employment, so I'm completing it to fulfill an individual goal. The accreditation issue does not really affect me, as I have had the CSU program evaluated and it has been accepted as the equivalent of a PhD in Canada, so it meets my criteria. I would like to add that my undergrad degree was completed by distance at a fully accredited Canadian university and was accepted for admittance to one of the top B&M universities in Canada. I am currently the Program Director for an online degree program at the same university where I completed my undergrad degree, and find the CSU courses on par for content and academic rigour. Distance education is not for everyone, but it serves a purpose and the entire process should be discounted simply because it did not meet one's expectations.

I am master's student in CSU and I LOVE it! Just got new job, and awaiting my degree soon. Easy school, excellent for people who have a full time job and want a powerful college degree.

Very inexpensive, gives you all the textbooks (which can costs hundreds) for free when you take a course. Courses are easy. I have a perfect 4.0. Anyone can ace through it and get a DETC accredited degree (nationally recognized) while managing jobs, family and even kids.

Again, this is the most inexpensive for the value of their degree. I don?t know if other schools accept credit from this school or not, but the degree will land you a solid career for sure. It has for me, and I am almost graduating.

I love CSU, for the helpful staff and teachers. The courses are easy. The degree is solid in the eyes of employers. Very inexpensive. If you thinking about coming back to school after many years, for that pay raise, or just a better career, this school is it! Do it now, in just a one and half years you will come out with your degree as new person. Really, don?t wait... just do it!

Columbia Southern University has help me achieve my career goals. The professors are always helpful. The course work is very challeging. Columbia Southern is one of the top distant education University's.In 2009 they purchased a regionally accredited College that was founded on 1903.

“I'm almost finished with the MBAAug 27 2010Business - Management and Administration

I'm almost finished with the MBA. You get from CSU what you put into it. The books are top quality and are included in the tuition. The professors don't teach, they grade work and answer questions. You teach yourself using the textbooks and library resources. I've learned a tremendous amount and will learn more as I finish my last year. The work is hard and time consuming. There is no free lunch or free diploma. Courses are available in two ways, self paced (within reason), and by term. I've always done them self paced because it fits better with my busy life. I believe CSU provides a quality education that can be worked into a working professional's life.

“This university is the best people I have evr worked withAug 07 2010Psychology

This university is the best people I have evr worked with. They have recently opened a free tutoring service called the success center. They always answer myquestion. They never put me off or talk down to me. The Prfessor are of top quality and always helpful. I love going to this school.

This is nothing more than a diploma factory. The syllabus has NOTHING to do with the course. Professors have too much freedom for personal interpretation of students' work. I was told that I was supposed to contact a professional electrician in order to answer the weekly assessment questions. The weekly assessments (quizzes) do not cover any readings listed and commonly have typos and mistakes. I've been emailing the student services representatives and the Dean and no one emails me back with any useful information.

The experience was exactly for my target market. Working Aldults with occupational responsibilities and trying to excel in the career market would have the best oppurtunity for success here. The University is equivalent in my opinion and in the opinion of the Dept. of Education to Regional accredited universities.

The Falculty could have enged more to ensure that students captured all the requirements of the course. Also, the courses were cookie cutter in some aspects, but I find this to be the case at most online universities with mostly Adjunct professors. The content is provided, they just grade off of the content. All in all, it was a good experience and I would reccommend this university to other peers looking for a career boost or change in careers.

I have attended two (2) other major Universities in NY. However, Columbia Southern is concern about the students, the students? welfare and the success of students to think critically. I will pursue my PHD at Columbia Southern.

“Great school - a large amount of workMay 19 2009Business - Management and Administration

Great school - a large amount of work but certainly an acceptable level for graduate studies. Entering in the school I had a 4.0 and still maintaining it. Education is what you make and take from it - I have attended both traditional schools and on-line schools and moreover the degree mills are the large institutions with deep pockets.

Columbia Southern is an excellent online university. The work is challenging but well worth it. The University staff will go out of their way to help students. The cost of attending is the best value for the quality. Great for the working adult.

Any negative comments I have read about this school on this site seem to me to be fabricated. CSU is a challenging, completely legitimate, accredited university. Having taken other online graduate courses at various universities, CSU by far offers the most value. I recommend this school to anybody seeking to earn an accredited online master's degree.

“In September 2003, I graduated from Columbia SouthernJul 27 2007Criminal

In September 2003, I graduated from Columbia Southern Univerisity with a BS in Criminal Justice. I had completed 90 semester hours with previous Kentucky State Institutions that were "Regionally Accredited" universities prior to transferring my studies to CSU and completing my last 15 courses at CSU. CSU has allowed me to fulfill a dream with a career in law enforcement/courts as a Kentucky State Probation/Parole Officer.

Presently, I have completed 7 Graduate courses at CSU in the MS Criminal Justice Program as well as 5 graduate courses at the University of Kentucky (Social Work)program and 1 graduate course at the University of Louisville (Criminal Justice). I can comment with the greatest confidence, that a degree at CSU is worth just as much as a degree from any other accredited institution. Rote memorization can just about get you through most collegiate exams, but at CSU, there is a strong integration of both open book exams, section essays, an research papers that aid in the learning and retention factor needed to carrying learning forward.

Most of my non CSU courses only required exams and periodic papers in the undergraduate pursuit. However, at CSU, nearly every class has required a scholarly paper in addition to section essay exams and open book exams. I would add that one would think that open book exams would be simple, but most of the exams I have taken required a thorough reading of the texts prior to taking the exam. The mere fact that CSU is accredited by DETC should eliminate the "Regional Accredation" factor as reports indicate DETC to be a tougher accreditor that most regional accreditors.

I have greatly enjoyed my experience at CSU and am greatly looking forward to completing my Masters in June 2008 and attending the 2008 graduation ceremonies.

If I can every be of assistance to anyone contemplating academic coursework at CSU, please do not hesitate to email me at ""

I received a BS in Computer Sciences / Information Systems from Columbia Southern University and am in the last term of my MBA in Project Management with them. I have had a pleasant experience attending this university and have no criticism about it at all.

Before attending CSU, I consulted with my employer about their accreditation and whether or not my firm would assist financially and accept a degree from them. They replied that CSU is completely acceptable and accredited to their satisfaction. I then compared their courses and curriculum against a couple other distance education schools and one traditional school.

I concluded they were all comparable but CSU provided the better value. Between VA benefits and financial assistance from my employer, I did not pay one cent out of my pocket for what will soon be two degrees. Actually, because CSU was founded and designed to be a distance education school, I feel their course structure and staff superior to a traditional school that recently started offering online classes.

I also think the regional versus national accreditation situation is slowly changing as well. Everyone knows that transferring credits game is about money in the long run, and more “regional” schools are accepting “national” credits because they don’t want to lose a student (customer).The accreditation and transferring credit situation in the education arena are convoluted “smoke and mirror” games. Besides, maintaining healthy profit margin can sway arrogance!

If a school is recognized by American Council on Education (ACE), the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO), Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) along with the US Department of Education (USDE) then it is of no real concern. I advise not getting too caught up in the “accreditation” dilemma if a school’s accreditation is recognized by all of the above.

See: http://www.chea.org/pdf/CHEA_USDE_AllAccred.pdf
I live in Europe and have also inquired with a few German and British firms who replied that they and their governments recognize DETC accreditation and any schools under them is completely acceptable. There were absolutely no concerns or questions about CSU as a school, its quality of education or accreditation. Actually, one manager considered attending CSU when he converted the exchange rate to the USD.

The greatest difference between a “brick and mortar” and “distance education” is that distance education requires a little more self discipline, motivation and time management. I have attended “traditional” classes and like on-line learning better, because of the lack of distractions that transpire in a class environment. Summarized, CSU is a fine school with a great staff and a good value providing a quality education.

Because of my Master's Degree in Criminal Justice from CSU I have an annual salary of $100,000.00 plus a year. Thanks CSU.

CSU is accedited with the United States Department of Education and has many other accreditations just like, Yale, U.C. California, U.C. Berkley etc. and all other accredited Univerities in the United States.

“Columbia Southern University is a great online universityAug 28 2006Business - Management and Administration

Columbia Southern University is a great online university. Many comments about "diploma mills" are false. Obviously the people posting those comments have not been enrolled at CSU. CSU is very similar to all other schools. I take tests, write essays, and I do get graded. Many "traditional" schools are now offering online programs....what is the difference?? I get to keep a lot more of my money in my pocket. By the way, all universities started out as a one room school at some point. CSU now has over 6,000 students and is growing. They are accredited by the DETC which the Dept. of Education recognizes. I can't believe how much these traditional schools charge for an online education. The tide is changing in education and the schools that do not offer competative online schooling will lose out in the end.

“I found out the hard way that thisApr 18 2006Business - Management and Administration

I found out the hard way that this is a far-Right Christian school with only a small group of owners running it. They spend all their money on marketing, then when they get your tution they just hire a Professor from another university to do the 'teaching.' They have a few "partnerships" with real RA schools, but these are only for marketing purposes. All they do is help the real Universities with covering the costs of any distance students they have. You come out of it with what I found out is just a worthless degree that gets laughed at by real schools and employers. AVOID this place at all costs. IMHO, it's a total diploma mill. Go to a real RA approved school and get a real degree rather than lining up someones pockets.